Yankees to retire CC Sabathia’s number 52

CC Sabathia (Arturo Pardavila III, Wikimedia Commons)

The New York Yankees are set to retire CC Sabathia’s number 52. According to the Associated Press on Wednesday, Sabathia will be honoured with a plaque prior to the Yankees game at Yankee Stadium on September 26. The Yankees opponent will be the Baltimore Orioles.

Sabathia was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025. He is the 24th player to have his number retired by the Yankees. Remember, Jackie Robinson never played for the Yankees, but his number 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball. Meanwhile, two Yankees players who both wore number eight have also been honoured in the past. They are Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra.

As a Yankee, Sabathia pitched 11 seasons from 2009 to 2019. He had a record of 134 wins and 88 losses with an earned run average of 3.81. During 307 games and 1918 innings pitched, Sabathia had 12 complete games, two shutouts, 162 quality starts. and exactly 1700 strikeouts. He allowed 1863 hits, 811 earned runs, 232 home runs, and 576 walks, to go along with a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.27.

Sabathia’s first Yankees shutout came on May 8, 2009 in a 4-0 New York win over the Baltimore Orioles. Sabathia threw a four-hitter. Sabathia’s second Yankees shutout came on July 10, 2011. Sabathia threw another four-hitter. This one was in a 1-0 Yankees win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

While with the Yankees, Sabathia led all of Major League Baseball in wins (19 in 2009 and 21 in 2010). Also in 2009, Sabathia was the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player and won the World Series. He was a three-time American League All-Star (2010, 2011 and 2012).